SCIE co-production charter

The Co-production Charter sets out how SCIE aims to work with people who use services, their carers and equality groups. The Charter has been developed through consultation with members of our Co-production Network, SCIE staff and Board. The charter demonstrates SCIE’s aspiration to model the behaviour we promote. the charter is part of ‘Co-production’, SCIE’s approach to the involvement of users and carers.

SCIE is committed to developing co-production with people who use services and carers.

Co-production means working with people who use services and carers as equal partners in the design, development, commissioning, delivery and review of SCIE's services.

Co-production is central to achieving the Government’s objectives of personalising services and increasing choice and control for users and carers. It will help SCIE to ensure that it meets people who use services’ and carers’ priorities and should also be seen as key to the quality and improvement agenda.

The jigsaw or whole systems approach to participation was developed by SCIE. It sees organisations as a jigsaw consisting of four pieces: culture, structure, practice and review. The principles are organised using this model.

The Charter applies to SCIE’s work with adults, children and young people.


The ethos of an organisation, shared by all staff, which demonstrates a commitment to co-production.

SCIE will:


The ways of working, methods for involvement, skills and knowledge which enable people who use services and carers to become involved.

SCIE will:


The planning, development and resourcing of co-production evident in the organisation’s infrastructures.

SCIE will:


The monitoring and evaluation systems which enable an organisation to evidence change effected by co-production.

SCIE will:

Definitions of terms

People who use services

SCIE defines people who use services as people who require long-term support from social and health care services. This includes people who need or are likely to need services but are not currently using them.

People who use services are individuals who have roles and relationships like all members of society and services should support them to be full and equal citizens.

We recognise that for many people there are other dimensions to being a person who uses services in terms of experience of inequality and discrimination in many areas, often including their dealings with services.


Carers are people who provide unpaid support for others who could not manage without this help. They are usually family members and partners but can also be neighbours or close friends of the person they support.

Carers can experience inequality and discrimination and particularly can find that their role as a carer restricts opportunities in areas like employment and social activities. Caring responsibilities can also impact on the person's own health.